What the heck is the U.S. in the United Nations for?

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43089

Okay, so the United Nations has a history going back to World War II, and it was pretty much created by the United States. Their headquarters is in New York City, the "Big 5" (alphabetically, China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States) had reason at the time to want the entity to be installed, and apparently 45 other countries were part of the original signatory nations. Basically, from what I can tell, it was the clubhouse for the victorious nations from World War II to hang out in and discuss international policies.

The United Nations has a neat listing of its big "accomplishments", basically a top 50. http://www.un.org/aboutun/achieve.htm

Obviously they don't go into their shortcomings or failings on their own website (at least not that I could find with a brief perusal).

Here's an interesting little commentary that is prety Anti United Nations, and points out some interesting policies that the United Nations appears to be championing

http://www.americanpolicy.org/un/main.htm

A right wing position paper of course.

Here's a paper with some more interesting commentary.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/776336/posts


I always kind of suspected that the majority of United Nations members were less than democratic. Here's the actual list of member States (sadly, it doesn't include the state's political structure).

http://www.un.org/Overview/unmember.html

While I can't really say who's there, or why, there are some interesting notes. Bosnia and Herzegovina were admitted in 1992, which as I recall is just promptly before they had to be bombed in a peacekeeping effort. Afghanistan (and therefore I guess the Taliban) is a member as well as of 1946. I guess once you are in, it doesn't matter how your government changes, you stay in.

The Axis of evil (DPRK, Iran, and Iraq) are all members. So is Somalia.

So, how do I get to be a part of the United nations?

1. Membership in the United Nations is open to a other peace-loving states
which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the
judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these
obligations.
2. The admission of any such state to membership in the
Nations
will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the
recommendation
of the Security Council.

Taken from article four of the charter found here:

http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/ibasicdocuments/ibasictext/ibasicunchart.htm

There are rules for being kicked out, but it seems to me from the list and my knowledge of the member states that being kicked out is pretty darn rare. I couldn't find any comments on any nation being expelled.

I understand the purpose of the United Nations on a philosophical level. But given what it does seem to actually do, and how it operates, I continue to quetion why it is the United States, or for that matter, any government that tries to uphold the ideals that the United Nations claims to enshrine would want to be a member.

Maybe I'm missing something